


Renegades

by ohappyfair



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Archaeology, Cat BB-8 (Star Wars), Developer Kylo Ren, Enemies to Lovers, Ethical Dilemmas, F/M, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Professional Archaeology, Snoke is a piece of shit, Teedo is a mixture of every archaeologist I have ever met, archaeologist Rey, archaeology AU, but he will be!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:49:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27867157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohappyfair/pseuds/ohappyfair
Summary: "This is so much more than your damncondosoroffice spaces." Rey nearly cried in frustration. "Development isn't more important than preserving what remains of a past culture! Money isn't more important than ethics!""That's a ludicrous idea," He narrowed his eyes at her, "of course progress and development takes priority over some bones in the dirt." He turned his broad back to her and made to leave the office."I'm not finished with you, Kylo Ren. This isn't over." She snarled and slammed her hand on the oak table. "I WILL stop you and yourdamnedcompany from doing any further harm."He turned around and walked back her, stopping toe-to-toe. His face towered above hers and he fixed his cruel gaze to her eyes, then to her lips."I'd like to see you try."
Relationships: Meaningful friendships, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Renegades

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!  
> I've been a long-time lurker of many amazing Reylo fics over the years and I finally kicked my ass into gear and decided to write one myself.  
> I am a professional archaeologist and while I LOVE (seriously, I LOVE IT) reading about fics set in an "archaeology AU" where the characters set out on a grand adventure to excavate a super secret work of great value, that isn't what most archaeologists do. Our work isn't always glamorous or making it onto the front page of Nat Geo, but there are some really great stories and conflicts that I could imagine my favorite space wizards navigating.  
> This is a fic about real archaeology and real archaeological issues. While I have drawn from experiences I have endured and stories my coworkers and friends have told me, this is ultimately a work of fiction and any situations or characters are NOT descriptions of real events or real people.  
> This fic will also NOT be naming any specific past indigenous tribes to further its main plot or conflict. I do not think I can do them justice for the horrible atrocities they endured at the hands of colonists and the ancient cultures who actually lived where this fic is set do not have any direct descendants to tell us their stories. I do not want to belittle these cultures by writing about one in a fictional setting and doing it poorly.  
> Many thanks to darlingreadsalot for the beta!  
> If you would like to learn more about the past peoples of the Florida peninsula, a great place to start is with the books by Jerald T. Milanich.

The peninsula that would one day be known as Menhaden Point jutted out into the green-brown waters of the Indian River. As the sun began to rise from the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean, inhabitants of a modest estuarine settlement arose from their dwellings and began their day. Adults paired off and pushed their canoes into the water to hunt for euryhaline fish before the heat of the day drove their catch to deeper waters. Older children poked in the sandy muck along the brackish shoreline in search of oysters and clams, while younger children ran to play in the undergrowth at the edge of the settlement, chewed bits of acorn bread clutched firmly in their fists.

As the morning progressed, young adults helped with tool crafting and keeping the daytime fires stoked and ready for cooking. A small group sat in a circle near the oldest oak tree, a giant whose long limbs stretched wide and low to the ground providing shade and climbable play areas for the more adventurous children. The mix of young men and women washed coquinas to prepare them for soup and wove baskets out of the palmetto fronds gathered earlier in the day. Their idle chatter and occasional delighted giggling reached the edge of the village where others knapped knives for butchery and spear points for hunting, careful to avoid leaving debitage in the pathways where it could cut bare feet. Elders sat in their dwellings, dishing out wisdom when requested and critiques when necessary. It was a busy day for the settlement on the river.

When the midafternoon sun was at its hottest, the snapping of twigs and rustling of brush at the western boundary of the village heralded the hunting party’s return. Six men, their dark hair pulled up and away from their faces and faded black tattoos swirling over their muscles marched triumphantly into the main court of the settlement, two deer and three racoons slung over their shoulders along with their bows and spears. It was the perfect day for celebration. The children’s morning collection of oysters was sizable and they were sent basket-by-basket to the fire for cooking. One deer was cooked for the evening celebratory meal, the other butchered and put over smoke. All three coons were dressed and set in the fire pit, their flesh turning brown and succulent next to the burning oak logs. Coquina soup was passed around in bowls, heart-of-palm and fresh acorn bread made the rounds right after. The melody of many voices drifted up into the night air, floating next to the smoke from the village’s fires.

The land of the tiny peninsula sticking out into the brackish river was perfect for generation after generation. People fished the inexhaustible river and the sea further to the east, always thankful that their nets and spears never returned empty. The swampy marshlands to the west provided enough deer and coon to sustain the settlement through all seasons. Practicality and art aligned here: beautiful baskets were woven from grasses and palms, clothing had innumerable colors from dyes extracted from the peninsula’s flora and fauna, and pottery was made for both utilitarian and ritual purposes – the sides of innumerable vessels punctated with dots and incised with lines as each artisan saw fit. It was here a people cooked and ate and passed stories from mother to daughter. It was here a people celebrated successes and bemoaned losses, the whole community rejoicing and grieving as one. It was here a people brought forth new life and mourned and buried their dead. Dry bones watched over the settlement from the top of the center hill, resting in their charnel house.

Indeed, there was nothing afoul with life on the green-brown waters of the river. 

Until armored men with unheard-of weapons arrived on their big ships from across the sea.

*

The orange grove situated on Menhaden Point had belonged to the Ventress family for over a century. One descendant recalled his great-grandma speaking fondly of her childhood running through the rows and rows of trees, the tangy sweet smell of orange blossoms in the air, as she hiked her skirts up to climb a big hill and watch the midday sun shine on the backs of grey mullet jumping in the intracoastal waterway. The grove had profited heavily when Henry Flagler had come to Florida in the early 1900’s with his railroads that allowed for easier transport and sale of the navels, honeybells, and temples oranges grown on the estate. But with the arrival of Walt Disney and his entertainment empire, the economy of Central Florida – even on the coast – slowly became more and more reliant on tourism dollars than on agriculture. The grove had only begun to become unprofitable in the last twenty years, but with the onset of a fatal pathogen that blighted citrus crops across the state, the land became more effort than it was worth to the Ventress family. Upon the death of the family’s matriarch, the remaining Ventress descendants agreed to sell the land and equally split the profits from the deed transfer.

And so the rundown, overgrown citrus grove on the green-brown banks of the Indian River was sold to First Order Developments, Inc. a business which prided itself on “developing enduring properties to make more aesthetic communities.” The chief architects and planners of the First Order had started their retail park and luxury riverside condominium plans the moment the property deed belonged to the company. However, unbeknownst to First Order Developments President and CEO Stephano Snoke, the land had more historic qualities than was economically advisable.

In plain speak, there were bodies buried there. 

Most of the time money, power, and yes even infamy, were enough to keep a business clear of meddling government interference. But cultural resource management was a thorn in Snoke’s side he could never seem to shake nor pull out. This thorn was made all the more festering by the most stubborn and unflappable State Historic Preservation Officer the state of Florida had ever employed. Snoke’s developments which were completed under the previous SHPO, Mas Amedda – a man who was by all appearances by-the-books, but understood the language of money and the art of accepting fine Cuban cigars from CEOs who _just wanted to chat_ – had always gone off without a hitch. A quick survey or two from some annoying firm of archaeologists and historians, a check written off to an office in Tallahassee, and work was ready to begin in four months or less. All of that changed when Leia Organa, or “that bitch” as Snoke exclusively referred to her, took over the office in Tallahassee and his requests _just to chat_ were turned down without even an introduction. Suddenly properties that could easily turn a quick profit were causing headache after headache, each plot of land losing money before the First Order could even break ground. 

Snoke typically got first dibs on the prime real estate offers before they became publicly known, thanks to a devoted little underling he placed in the Florida Real Estate Commission’s governing body. The grove land right on the intracoastal waterway would clearly be snapped up by _any_ development company worth their salt, so when a heads-up to the approaching listing was made known to Snoke’s property acquirement team, a significant bid was made straight away without confirmation or consultation with the President and CEO. They weren’t purchasing land from the State this time, it should have been _fine_.

The land of Menhaden Point had always been private property, a fact which should have made it exempt from heritage protections. However, in the 1940’s a young antiquarian had chosen to do research on the ancient peoples of coastal Florida, rather than the Greeks and Romans which so captured the imaginations of his colleagues. Through his readings and telegrams with anthropologists living in the state, he came to the hypothesis that a prominent peninsula on the Indian River was a likely location for a rather sizable settlement. With trepidatious permission from the Ventress family, the man began his modest excavation and uncovered hundreds of artifacts confirming his suspicions as to the location of an indigenous village. Pottery and stone tools were recorded meticulously by his assistant, her pen and ink drawings of the artifacts skillfully rendered. His research was quickly ended only three weeks into his stay at the grove when one day, he unearthed a human skull. The deeply religious (and perhaps just a little bit superstitious) Ventress family quickly bode him to rebury the remains and leave at once, the artifacts he excavated sent to his estate in New York.

As was the case with many historians of the past, his work was never published except for a brief summary submitted to the state government which notified the officials of the presence of human remains. And so Anakin Skywalker’s research on the indigenous communities of coastal Florida might never have been entered into the state’s main archaeological database if it hadn’t been for his estranged daughter.

The burials at Menhaden Point were known to the State and the Tribes. Leia knew, from past dealings with the man, that Snoke would try anything to get away with not following government compliance. She had sent an urgent email to the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer when news of the Menhaden Point deed sale made it to her desk. The two offices drafted a letter notifying the new land owner of the immensely significant contents of their property and sent it to the development firm, also _gently_ reminding them of federal rules and directives. Even though the First Order privately owned the land, the destruction of identified Native graves was a federal crime.

The problem with the properties that the First Order liked to develop was that they were in locations where people have _always_ wanted to live. A dry plot of earth next to a navigable waterway has been the perfect place to live since time immemorial; a fact which obviously led to high modern profits for the company, but a fact which now presented a set of challenges from which Stephano Snoke could not bribe his way out.

*

A bright and sunny morning in downtown Orlando belied the stormy atmosphere in the offices of First Order Developments. Just north of the mayor’s office and the bizarre sea-green tower of glass which constituted a work of art, the 24th floor of the four-spired SunTrust Center was abuzz with news of cultural conflict.

“Hux. To my office.” Snoke breathed as he strode past the walnut and tempered glass desk of his chief assistant. Armitage Hux whispered a tiny curse at the obvious signs of a boss in foul temper and stood from his leather chair, locking his computer and straightening his tie.

When he walked into Snoke’s office not twenty seconds later, the man was already sitting with steepled hands and a furious expression, as if he had been glued to his massive desk chair all night in anger.

“Why am I receiving word that the First Order’s newest acquisition is tied up in red tape from Tallahassee?”

“Sir, it was the property acquisition team. They put the proposal on my desk for you to sign, but you had already left for your flight to London. I looked it over and attached your digital signature, the First Order could not afford to allow this riverfront property to be taken by any other firm.” Hux stood straight and tried his best to maintain direct eye contact. Snoke didn’t tolerate weakness almost as much as he didn’t tolerate mistakes. “They didn’t know about the bodies.”

“While in some ways I admire your dedication to the glory and reputation of First Order Developments, do not think for a moment that your confidence and finger-pointing has spared you. This property was purchased a week ago and already I have had _THAT BITCH_ ” Snoke slammed his palm on the surface of his mahogany desk, “calling me day-in and day-out about a meeting with _the Tribes_ ” he spat the end of his sentence with disgust. 

Armitage nervously glanced around Snoke’s office, eyes darting from the ficus plant in the corner to the gold-plated stapler on his desk, seeing nothing.

“So we will meet with them.” Said Hux, as calmly as his racing heart would allow. “Surely we can come to an easy understanding which will allow development to occur as soon as possible.”

“ _Easy._ You think meeting with the leading Indian tribe of Florida to convince them that digging up a bunch of dead Indians for our profit will be _easy_.”

Snoke was no fool. He valued progress-led profit above all else, but he _understood_ the hang-ups people had around his business. That was how he ended up so successful; he knew the hesitations and at what cost those hesitations could be purchased and lain aside. But just as Snoke was no fool, Armitage Hux was no pushover.

He took a deep breath and spoke, “Sir, I delicately remind you that one of your scholarship recipients pursued law several years ago. That woman is currently a top graduate at her school for federal regulations and Public Law and is currently looking for work. Now, the main offices of the Tribal Historic Preservation Office only hire within the tribe, but the compliance office frequently hires outside–”

“We can place her on their compliance board and have a man on the inside.” Snoke interrupted, his expression of anger quickly replaced by one of malicious scheming. “You organized all this in the days since the first compliance notice was received? I must say Hux, I am impressed.”

Hux bowed his head and produced a manila file folder for Snoke to examine. “Here is the file I requested to be made on her. Her contact information and greatest passions are on the first page, as usual.”

Snoke showed his teeth and reclined in his chair, file open in his lap, “Well now, let us make sure that auto-enthusiast and lawyer Gwen Parnassos receives a nice, restored chrome ’59 Cadillac and a tempting offer from the Tribal Historic Preservation Office, shall we?”

“It will be done, sir. I will meet with the Tribe this coming week.”

“Well done, Hux. Well done, indeed.” Snoke set the folder on Parnassos aside and turned to the large window which made up the west wall of his office. The view out of the thermal tinted windows overlooked the bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-4 and the ovoid mass that was the Amway Center arena.

“We now need to deal with the dreaded _archaeologists_ who will undoubtedly need to survey my new condominium site, yes?”

Hux hesitated in his response, not quite sure how Snoke wanted him to answer, but persisted, “Sir, if the Tribal meeting goes well and we install Ms. Parnassos on the compliance board, will a survey even be necessary?”

Snoke chuckled darkly for a few seconds longer than Hux was comfortable with, “Oh _Armitage_ . For all your machinations you clearly cannot read the writing on the wall. No, I’m afraid _That Bitch_ will still require more than just the simple surveys we’ve been able to get away with in the past. I daresay any site with bodies likely gives that freak in Tallahassee a thrill.” Snoke stood then, and moved to the window, looking out over the cars at a standstill on the interstate. “Bring in our _esteemed_ Director of Property Management. I’m sure he will know of a suitable firm of ragtag _archaeologists_ who will be delighted to excavate below the going rate.”

“Ah, sir he’s currently in a meetin-” Hux interjected and at this, Snoke’s eyes turned cold as slate.

“I _said_. Bring. Me. Ren.”

*

_One Month Later_

Poe Dameron could hardly believe his luck; he was placed _in charge_ of the Menhaden project mere _months_ after being hired as Field Director for Gatalenta Research Inc. Gatalenta was a small cultural resource management firm, still in its early years of business development. Founder and CEO Amilyn Holdo was not new to the CRM world, but was relatively green at being in charge of her own business. Having branched out from her position as President of Republic Research only three years prior, she was harsh, yet fair and sought to inspire her employees through tough love and no-nonsense orders.

And somehow Poe had managed to pull off his raise request with such stellar grace and charm that she agreed and given him so much more responsibility.

That, or she was desperate.

“How many spades do we have in there, Rose?” Poe asked from outside the small equipment closet in the Gatalenta office.

“Just three, Poe! And one of them is pretty banged up, god did someone repeatedly smash this thing over a _rock?!”_

_Yeah, desperate is probably more likely._

“Ok we’ll add spades to the list but at least Teedo and Finn took care of the close-interval shovel tests last week. We have any flat shovels?”

Rose spun around in the tiny closet and peered into the gloom, “There’s a big stack in the back corner, hold on.” She clambered over a broken screen and half-full cans of paint, leftovers from when Amilyn had first painted the office. “Ok yeah we have six of ‘em!”

“They sharp?”

“Oh, uh,” she ran her thumb over the digging edge of the first shovel, then the next, and the one after. “Not really! Some of them have a decent edge, but most seem to be straight from the hardware store”

Poe sighed out of his nose what was likely his twentieth deep sigh of the day – and it was only 10:30 in the morning. Gatalenta Research looked good _on paper_ . Their assessment surveys and construction monitoring reports consistently received government concurrence and their routine clients with whom they had secured a few contracts were _very_ pleased at their thoroughness and speed. However, the company simply hadn’t been around long enough, nor had senior management schmoozed with the right developers for Gatalenta to receive any major contracts. No major contracts, no major successes, no large companies singing their praises for others to hear.

Very little money.

Amilyn’s insistence that all her employees be paid _above_ industry standard was kind, but it was also shooting her fledging company in the foot.

Until last month when everything started to look up. Gatalenta Research’s contract manager Larma D’Acy had rushed into Poe’s office one Tuesday afternoon with a hint of a manic gleam in her eye. “ _You’re not going to believe this, Dameron_ ”.

And so here Poe was, in charge of the most important contract Gatalenta had ever received, prepping for a major Phase Three excavation and his office barely had fucking usable shovels.

“Add an angle-grinder to the list and let’s take a look at our screens. At least tell me there’s some in there that aren’t completely blown out.”

Rose hopped over a few plastic bins to the other corner of the dark closet and examined some of the shaker screens resting against the wall. The wood frames were old, but still strong and the hardware cloth in their centers hadn’t broken away from any of the supports.

“There’s three of them and they’re all good, plus the handles are the nice narrow ones. I hate screening with the original models, it’s like gripping the butt of a shotgun!”

“Agree with you on that one.” Poe paused, looking at his to-do list, “Has Finn texted you yet? He was supposed to meet with the THPO people at eleven, I want to know if he made it to their offices yet. We can’t afford for the THPO to see us as anything less than completely professional.”

Rose rolled her eyes, she’d known Poe for a while as her older sister Paige’s college roommate, and it seemed his propensity for over-planning and worry had not calmed over the years. Regardless, she owed him – it wasn’t often a CRM firm offering a good rate of pay and health benefits hired an archaeologist so fresh out of undergrad as herself – and with quick text to Paige of:

\---- _remind me why I put up with ur weird loser friend as my boss-type person again????_

She responded to Poe’s inquiry. “Yeah, he said he arrived a few minutes ago. He doesn’t recognize the name on the business cards though,” Rose raised her eyebrow at her glowing phone screen in the gloom of the closet, “you think the office got someone new?”

“Yeah I remember seeing Ackbar retired a few months ago. Probably for the best, that old geezer is ancient.” Poe chuckled to himself and looked up from his notes again, “I’m honestly surprised he could read compliance documents through those coke-bottle glasses of his.”

“You’re such an ass, Poe.”

He scoffed in mock-offense, “Rose Tico you take that back, after everything I’ve given you.”

Her phone dinged in her hand, Paige had replied.

\-- _he’s the reason u have a job, dumbdumb. <3 _

*

Rey Niima was calm.

She was so calm. And cool. And collected.

Which is why when she got off of the phone with the nice HR woman – _Kaydel_ , she reminded herself, _Kaydel Connix_ – she let out an ear-piercing scream of elation. Which promptly scared her orange tabby cat right off of his perch on the back of her secondhand couch.

“Sorry Beebs! Come here, baby.” She scooped the rotund cat up into her slender arms and cooed at his forehead “it’s just that momma has a SALARIED JOB.”

She danced a silly little dance in the middle of her studio apartment with her cat, Beebee, still firmly snuggled in her arms.

“Cat, things are finally looking up. I knew at least ONE company wouldn’t be able to resist the allure of permanently hiring a Cornell-trained archaeologist. No more shovel-bumming for us!”

Rey had moved more times in the past three years of her life than in the entirety of the twenty-two years prior to that. Working as an archaeologist in the United States did not often offer stability. When one project ended, she and all the other archaeologists hired by the small CRM firms would be let go and scatter to find the next contract opportunity. 

She and Beebee had started in New York after her undergraduate graduation, moving up to New England for some summer work. When that had dried up she packed her cat and her reliable old SUV and moved out west where the constant development of new pipelines offered a plethora of work. But Rey soon found that the idea of assisting the fossil fuel industry lost its charm when a pipeline constructed in years prior had sprung a leak one winter, ruining a small town. She didn’t bother with California or the Pacific NorthWest; “must have five to ten years of prior California archaeological experience” was a swift door in her face. So, she and Beebee moved to Florida. 

The weirdest state in America.

Though her new local grocery store was _really_ nice and made delicious subs.

No longer content with the nomadic shovel-bum lifestyle, Rey looked for archaeological positions more permanent and of a higher tier than technician-level. When Gatalenta Research had come across her Indeed search with a position of _Archaeologist_ and THAT salary number behind it, she jumped at the chance. Rey emailed every professor by whom she had been taught at Cornell to plead for an academic reference. Her long-distance friend Jessika, with whom she had worked a season in Maine, promised to supply a professional reference. A day or two had gone by and Jessika’s letter pinged into her email inbox. Then, wonder of wonders, she had received an email from her favorite professor at Cornell in response to her desperation.

Dr. Han Solo, professor of Archaeology and Chair of the Archaeology Program within the College of Arts and Sciences, sent her a snarky email.

Typical Solo.

“Rey,

_No need to beg kiddo, you’re above that. Here’s the letter. Play nice with the SHPO, heard she’s a terror._

_-Han”_

Rey had chuckled, it was no secret that Han Solo’s wife was the Florida State Historic Preservation Officer, but how they made their marriage work while being so long distance was a mystery to her. However, remembering Dr. Solo’s biting sarcastic remarks on her graded essays, his sardonic comments to those arriving late to class, and his sharp corrections in field school, she supposed maybe the distance was what _allowed_ them to work in the first place.

Regardless of his sharp edges, Rey liked him for his honesty and his sincerity on important matters.

“Thank every deity above for Jessika and Han Solo.” Rey breathed. She had refused to read the letters they had written, not wanting to face what others thought so honestly about her even if it was all positive.

Beebee _mrowed_ at her in a facsimile of agreement as if he knew the two personally and hopped down from her arms. He walked over to his cat bed in the corner of the small apartment and watched as Rey put away her legal documents she had read to Kaydel over the phone.

“I start _Monday_ , can you believe it?! They said they’re in a rush to onboard me because of some big project on the coast. I don’t want to get my hopes up in case it’s just another assignment of ten million holes in the ground, but, ugh! Finally some _stability_.”

Stability.

What a wonderful word.

Rey had always thought her life would truly begin when she was able to consider herself _stable_ . Financially free to buy the nicer eggs at the supermarket. Maybe make some lasting friends. Work on starting some little rag-tag family for herself. When was the last time she truly _belonged_ somewhere-

Maybe she could belong with Gatalenta.

If nothing else, Kaydel’s enthusiastic remarks about Rey’s past experience and how she seemed to be the _perfect fit_ for the job put her in good graces with at least one person. One was better than no one.

Rey turned to the fridge in her small kitchenette and pulled out a chilled bottle of cheap wine. She walked back to her couch, the bottle and a 50-cent thrift store wine glass in her hands. She poured a serving of the wine and toasted to her cat in the corner.

“This calls for a celebration, Beebee. We’re breaking out the wet food tonight.”

Beebee meowed.

*

“Oh for Christ’s sake Dameron, the trailer doesn’t have to look like a fucking modern art exhibit.” James Teedo snorted cigarette smoke out of his nostrils – not unlike a disgruntled dragon – and grabbed a set of metal tripod legs. “Just shove the shit in there so the door closes and let’s be done with it. It’s already 6 pm and I’m fucking starving.”

Poe looked over his shoulder scornfully and continued pulling out screens and shovels, trying to put the equipment in the trailer in such a way that removal Monday at the site wouldn’t result in an avalanche of archaeological supplies. “Look, Teedo if you’re not going to help, you can leave. I know you’ve hit your hours this week. We need to get this done, but I understand you wanting to go home. Don’t just stand there and complain at me.” He gave a grunt and attempted to balance three screens on top of a set of plastic bins.

“Well shit, way to guilt me, dad.” The skinny man puffed out beside his smoldering cigarette and reached in to grab the screens before they toppled to one side. “There has got to be a better way.”

James and Poe continued to sweat and curse in the back parking lot of Gatalenta Research for a minor eternity until Rose and Finn pulled into the lot in the company’s second car.

“Poe! We bought a new angle grinder! This one is cordless!” Rose shouted out of the passenger window of the deep blue Tacoma while Finn carefully navigated the truck into a small parking spot at the edge of the lot. She hopped down from the vehicle once it was in park and made her way over to the trailer. “Here’s the company card,” she held out the thin rectangle of plastic in her two forefingers, “hope you and Amilyn don’t mind that we also got some Gatorade and Pedialyte. Next week is supposed to be killer hot.”

Poe wiped the sweat from his brow and dark brown curls as he stood up and grabbed the credit card. “That isn’t a problem as long as you bought plenty of the blue flavor. Think you could give Teedo and me a hand with this?” He gestured to the trailer and the (still quite large) pile of equipment waiting to be packed away.

“Did you even make a skosh of progress while we were gone?” Finn asked as he walked over, hands in the pockets of his olive-green cargo pants.

“Dameron seems to think that big ol wooden screens will have no problem balancing on an upright shovel to perfectly maximize surface area spatial awareness or some other bullshit.” Teedo spat, his short temper finally getting the better of him after an afternoon sweating in the heat of central Florida.

“Shut up, Teedo.” Poe replied, his brown eyes finally showing signs of irritation and anger at James’ prodding. “We just need to ensure that all the equipment is stowed away for easy extraction at site. If we spend the time now, we won’t have to struggle on Monday in front of the developers.”

“Wait what do you mean developers?” Finn asked, wide-eyed, “I thought we were just setting up the excavation on Monday. Putting down units, setting up the total station, that kind of stuff. Are we seriously having a meeting with the bad guys the _instant_ we’re out there?”

“Did you seriously just call them _the bad guys_?” Teedo snorted and lit another cigarette. “Jesus Finn, don’t get that bleeding heart on me, shit’s gonna stain.”

“We don’t know that the developers aren’t going to cooperate with us, Finn.” Poe sighed after bending over and pulling the screens out of the trailer for the fourth time. “I know you don’t have the best background dealing with these types, but these guys seem to be alright.”

Finn made an expression like he had heard an egregious lie _and_ smelled a fart.

“ _Sure_ Poe. The guys who stand to make a kabillion dollars on tearing up a piece of green space and turning it into luxury condominiums are going to _cooperate_ with us.”

The older man sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, “The guy we’re meeting with specifically sought our company out for the project. Without him we wouldn’t even have this job.” Poe shrugged and tugged the neckline of his shirt up to mop away more sweat from his face. “We have to at least give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to side with Finn on this one, Poe. What is the point of them meeting us out at site _the first day_? Before we even have a chance to set up?” Rose scrunched up her small nose, “Why wouldn’t they just meet with you and Amilyn at the office? Or their office? It seems suspiciously intimidating.”

Teedo fished another cigarette out of his pocket and gave an unpleasant laugh, “Tico, you’re missing your tinfoil hat.”

Rose narrowed her brown eyes at James’ slender figure and thought of all the insults with which she could _choose_ to return fire.

But she _didn’t._

Because she was a _good employee_.

And continuing the argument with Teedo wasn’t going to help Poe get the rest of the equipment into the trailer and Paige was always telling her to _play nice_ around her boss. So Rose let the barb roll off her back and gently pushed Poe away from the trailer’s door. “Here, let me have a go, I was chief deputy of van tetris when Paige got her new apartment.”

Poe gave her a relieved smile that _just_ began to crinkle his eyes and bowed, “By all means, Miss Tico.”

Rose tied up her hair and got to work, setting screens up against the wall of the trailer, nesting shovels in beside the screens, and fitting in the metal tripod rods on top. Poe and Finn moved some of the equipment from the parking lot pile over to the Tacoma and rearranged a few canopies and ladders in the bed of the truck. Teedo slouched against the wall of the trailer and smoked yet another cigarette. The four of them bustled around the small parking lot abutting the back of their brick-walled office.

Work progressed slowly at first, but once Rose had all the equipment out of the trailer for a fresh repacking, the organizational proceedings picked up in pace. She paused briefly every so often to brush her ink-black hair out of her eyes before continuing to utilize every available square inch in the trailer. Her hands worked nimbly pushing in equipment where it would fit and delicately adjusting placement when needed. James still leaned against the wall and watched, pulling the last of his Marlborough’s from its cardboard box.

“You know Teedo, you can lend a hand. It isn’t against the rules.” Rose finally snorted while shoving a large tripod screen on top of an organized set of plastic bins.

James lit his cigarette, taking a puff before blowing the smoke at Rose. “Why would I take a task away from such a strong, empowered woman? Isn’t requiring a man’s help against your feminist shit or something?” He took another deep drag and slouched his opposite hand in his pocket.

Rose paused in her work to heave a great sigh and count to ten.

_Stars above, today is really the day I put a shovel through his skull,_ she thought, looking up from the organized screens and shovels to shoot an icy glare directly at James. The man had the gall to pull his phone out of his pocket and refuse to meet her eyes.

Like a _coward_.

“What I wouldn’t give to have just _one_ more coworker who was talented and smart so that they pulled our average intelligence up instead of down.” 

Teedo smirked to himself and continued looking at his phone. His curly brown hair falling into his eyes and the smoke from his cigarette flowing up into his mustache.

Rose heard a barking laugh from the truck Poe and Finn were working on. “You might just get your wish, Rose” Poe said. He waved his cell phone over his head and gestured to the screen, “Kaydel literally hired someone new today. Just in time for the start of the project.”

This information pulled a smile out of Rose – Teedo’s insufferable attitude and overall presence temporarily ignored. “Oh wow that sure is short notice. Is the new hire available for Monday?”

“Apparently so, she said the woman has a ton of CRM experience. Kaydel was assured that ‘speedy field prep’ was ‘second nature’ to her.” Poe said, quoting directly from his text messages. 

“What’s her name? Where’s she from? She local?” Finn asked while he folded the last of the tarps into manageable bundles.

“Kaydel didn’t mention where she’s originally from, but apparently she lives close enough to the office. Her name is Rey Niima.”

Teedo’s head popped up from his phone and a wicked grin spread across his face. “No shit, Niima got hired here?”

“You know her?” Poe asked while he threaded the last bungee cord through the ladder in the bed of the Tacoma.

“Yeah we worked together for a bit on a pipeline project in west Texas a few years ago. She ran like a little bitch when she realized oil is bad for the planet or whatever.” Teedo flicked his cigarette and released the tip’s ash into a nearby bush. 

“That’s not very nice, Teedo.”

“Yeah whatever Tico. Finish your game of tetris.” James started walking to his car. He turned and shot a look to the two men at the truck. With a final drag of his cigarette he addressed Finn, “Hey soldier-boy, here’s a fun joke, give Niima shit tomorrow for not having any parents.”

With that, James Teedo playfully flipped the three of them off, tossed his spent cigarette butt onto the pavement, climbed into his rusty Volvo, and drove away; the car’s muffler squealing as he pealed out of the parking lot.

Poe and Finn were quiet as they rolled their eyes and finished up their work shoving the last bits of gear into the truck. Rose looked like she wanted to explode.

“What a fucking asshole, who mocks someone for not having parents??” Rose cried as she looked from Finn’s neutral expression to Poe’s tired eyes.

“People who have worked shovel-bum jobs for a long time have a weird sense of humor, Rose.” Poe said. “You know he’s a mostly-good guy. Maybe the two of them are friends and they riff on each other like that.” He walked over and helped Rose place the remaining shovels into the enclosed trailer and pulled down the gate. He attached a padlock to the door and put a kind hand on Rose’s shoulder with a smile.

Finn nodded while he snapped the last lid onto the plastic bins for laboratory gear, “Yeah Rose, you know how rough work can be. Gallows humor makes the day go by a bit faster; buddies in my squad used to make shitty jokes, too.” Finn paused and rubbed the slight stubble at his square chin, “Or maybe she _does_ have parents and it’s an inside joke between the two of them.”

“No matter how hot and sweaty I got out in the field, I would _never_ make fun of something like that. I still think it’s terrible.” Rose crossed her arms and glared at the completely packed trailer, all sense of accomplishment slipping away as James Teedo succeeded in souring her mood, once again.

*

Come Monday morning, Rey awoke before the sun had even considered rising. Twisting and turning in her lumpy mattress wasn’t providing the rest she needed, so at 4:00 am she gave up and got out of bed.

Pulling on her nicest and least-stained work shirt and a pair of quick-dry cargo pants, Rey moved to the kitchen and made herself a quick cup of coffee. She puttered through her apartment, re-checking that all of her gear was packed in her field backpack and trying to find the best pair of padded socks to wear. She set her mug on her bedside table and finally settled on a blue pair made of wool which she had purchased from an outdoorsman store in Maine. Beebee awoke from his place on her second pillow and gave a small _mrow_ as a morning salutation.

“Morning Beebee! Sorry to wake you, little man.” She gave the cat a soft smile and ran her fingers through his white and orange fur.

“I’m a little worried, baby. The HR lady, Kaydel, said that today is the first day of some big project for the company and we’re meeting with _developers_. Ugh.”

Beebee narrowed his green eyes like he knew the word well.

Ray shook her head, “I even looked up the company that Gatalenta is contracted with. It’s not looking great, Beebee. They’re a multi-billion-dollar corporation. I have a feeling this is going to turn out just like that job back in Texas.”

Rey sipped her coffee and thought back on her time spent in Jakku. It was a small desert town located in the middle of nowhere where a different multi-billion-dollar corporation had come up against opposition from a CRM firm. The company, Empire Energy, had plans to slap an oil pipeline through the sands of west Texas, all cultural resources and modern water sources be damned. Rey had initially done her best to keep her scientific work in line with the ethics her professors from undergrad had so religiously drilled into her head. But gradually her crew chiefs and the principal investigators for the firm began to ask her to lighten up on proper archaeology and cut corners in her recording of cultural resources. The oil company had been in cahoots with the president of the firm where Rey was employed, and when she found out that the less she and her coworkers reported to the Texas SHPO, the more money the oil company offered her boss, she quit on the spot.

“There is no point in science if you don’t follow a code of ethics” professor Solo had told her Intro to Archaeology class during her freshman year at Cornell. Dr. Solo’s usual grumpy persona had shifted during their lesson on archaeological ethics and looting – gone was the joking sarcasm and instead the older man had become deadly serious. It was clear to Rey, just 19 at the time, that this was a cause Dr. Solo was very passionate about. She had gone to his office hours that week and asked him as many questions as she could think of on the topic, her interest piqued. Her dedication to the subject had, unbeknownst to Rey, earned her a soft spot in Dr. Solo’s mind; his grading of her essays remained fair, but he _might_ have added a bit more commentary to her papers to explain why she received whatever grade he circled in red pen at the top of each assignment.

“Ethics above all else,” Rey whispered to herself and got up off of her bed to pack a lunch.

*

Rey pulled into the Gatalenta parking lot just past 6:00 am, another coffee chilling in its tumbler in her car’s cupholder. She parked next to three other cars at the eastern end of the lot. One white truck had a large covered trailer attached to the tow hitch, another blue truck was parked across the lot, and the third car was a small red Honda CR-V with a multitude of bumper stickers decorating the rear window and trunk door. As she got out of her old SUV, a man about her height with short cropped hair and dark skin got out of the CR-V, shrugged on a heavy-looking backpack, and walked over to her.

“Hey, Rey is it? I’m Finn.” He extended his hand out in greeting and smiled kindly.

“It’s nice to meet you, I suspect Kaydel has already informed everyone of my employment?” Rey shook his hand and offered back a small smile.

“Oh yeah, she texted Poe – he’s our crew chief – and he told the rest of us. It’s nice to get a new face amongst the ranks. We’re all very excited you’re here, we definitely have our work cut out for us today.”

“Starting units _and_ meeting with the client, if what Kaydel said was correct, yeah?” Rey asked, taking a sip of her iced coffee.

Finn rolled his eyes and shot her a mildly disgusted expression, “Ugh yeah, don’t get me started on that.”

“You’re not a huge fan of developers, I take it?”

“Hard to be when they make my job a living hell. It’s the rich residential developers that are the worst. You know, the ones free from the sway of government funding?”

“I know very well, yeah. Trust me, I’m right there with you.” Rey offered a sympathetic grimace.

Finn gave her a smile that showed all of his perfectly straight teeth, “Glad to see we have that in common. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Rey gave a delighted chuckle, “Yes of course! All the best friendships are founded on the mutual hatred of something.”

“I can’t tell if you’re joking, but at least three of my closest friendships have started due to mutual loathing.” Finn laughed and rested his arm on the back window of her car.

Rey crinkled her nose at him and let a moment go by in amiable silence. Finn was funny and nice. Friendship was good. She could do friendship, she had _plenty_ of experience with friends.

She even had so many friends that _didn’t_ include her former collegiate advisor or a former coworker she hadn't seen in months...

Ok. So Rey had two professional acquaintances.

She was _working on it._

_But it’s so hard to make meaningful relationships with people when your employment contract is uncertain and you have to move two states away to afford food_ , Rey thought to herself. 

Rey cleared her throat, “So, Finn. Who else am I going to meet today?”

Finn scratched his chin and looked up to the sky for a moment, “Well… practically the whole company. Crew chief is Poe, I’ve already mentioned him. Good guy, smart, a little sure of himself but that’s what helps him make clear decisions.” 

Finn held out another finger. “Rose is our tech guru, she knows everything about geospatial devices and stuff. I mostly deal with artifact analysis. We have a few other people on part-time status who come in when we ask ‘em.” He then looked at Rey out of the corner of his eye, “And of course Teedo, who I’m told you know already.”

Rey’s face fell and she scrunched her nose. “Yeah I know him. He’s… alright.”

Finn laughed, “Hey it’s ok! You can tell the truth with me, we’re field siblings now. My lips are sealed.”

Rey blinked at his open offer of secrecy. If there was one thing an archaeologist loved more than complaining, it was gossiping.

“I’m serious. I know how much field techs love to blabber and I offer you my solemn promise now that if you ever tell me something you don’t want to be repeated, no one will ever hear of it.” Finn said and stuck his pinky out as an offering.

Rey gripped her coffee tumbler with both hands and simply looked at his offered pinky, pondering how open Finn was and how much trust he was asking of her. She decided that revealing her true feelings on _any_ subject at the moment of her new employment probably wouldn’t be wise. “It’s not that I don’t _like_ James. We just… have a difference of opinion on a few things.”

Finn stuck his hand back in his pocket and smiled again. “I get that. Well, at least that means you’ll have _another_ really good friend at Gatalenta!”

Rey tilted her head in confusion.

Finn continued on, “Rose _hates_ Teedo, so you’ll be in good company.” He winked at her as she tried to stutter out a “ _I don’t HATE him-”_ or “ _It’s just his ethics are dubious at best-”_ but before she could choke out the words, another car pulled into the parking lot and Finn’s attention moved to its driver.

“Ah perfect, here’s Rose now!”

Rey watched as a short Asian woman with a spiky ponytail and feathery bangs got out of her car and hoisted a pack similar in size to Finn’s onto her shoulders.

“Morning Finn! And hi Rey! It’s so nice to meet you. Ready for a day out in the sun?”

Rey waved “Yep! Got a big canteen ready to go. It’s nice to meet you, too. Finn was giving me the introduction speech.”

“Ah yes, he’s good at that.” Rose smiled brightly at Finn. “Has he spilled all of the company’s gossip yet?”

Finn’s jaw dropped at that and he sputtered, “ROSE. I’m not shit-talking! I was just telling Rey who everyone is!”

Rose rolled her eyes and Rey chuckled. 

“He really wasn’t. He was just giving me the laydown. What to expect today.”

“Ah so you know about the meeting, too.”

“Is it a legit meeting-meeting or is it just the suits talking with Poe?” Finn asked, running a finger over a crease in the trailer’s back gate.

“Poe texted me late last night, apparently it’s a real, legitimate meeting. Guess we have to be on our best behavior. That means _no_ cursing the developers under your breath.” She gave a pointed look at Finn who smiled and shrugged. 

The sun slowly started to peek its rays through the pine trees which surrounded the company parking lot. The three of them continued to exchange pleasantries and personal backstories until Poe and Teedo arrived at the Gatalenta office at around the same time.

“Good morning everyone!” Poe exclaimed boisterously, “and an especially good morning to you, Rey. We’re very happy to have you on board.”

“S’up Niima.” James chuffed, his third cigarette of the day already stuffed in his mouth.

“I’m happy to be here, Finn and Rose have been telling me so much about the company. I think I’m really going to like it!” Rey shook Poe’s outstretched hand and then turned her head slightly towards James, “Teedo. funny seeing you here.”

James rolled his eyes.

Poe clapped his hands “Alright everyone, into the vehicles! We have a lot of work to get done today and a very important meeting. Rey, you’re welcome to take your own car or you can ride with me in the truck and I can fill you in on the site and what we’re doing.”

Rey glanced nervously at her SUV – a previous job stint in Boston and a failed attempt by a thief at carjacking had left her a bit apprehensive.

“No need to worry about your car, the office has tons of security cameras and I leave my own car here all the time.”

“Ah cool,” Rey pressed the lock button on her key fob three times more than what was necessary, “Ok I’ll ride with you! Thank you!” She grabbed her pack and her personal cooler out of the back of her SUV and walked over to the white Toyota Tundra with the trailer attached.

“Drive safe everyone! I’ve sent out coordinates in the group chat!” Rose hopped up into the blue Toyota Tacoma, the bag of t-shirts hooked in the crook of her right arm.

“God speed, Rebels!” Finn winked and climbed back into his own car.

Teedo didn’t respond to anyone and simply clambered into the driver’s seat of his Volvo.

*

The white Tundra sped along State Road 528, past the planted pine forests and scrubby lowlands which bordered either side of the toll road. Rey looked out from the passenger side window while listening to Poe describe the Menhaden Point site, trying to catch a glimpse of a band of wild turkeys or some deer.

“So Skywalker just dug a few trenches and then got kicked off the land?” She asked, half a granola bar sticking out of the side of her mouth.

“Yeah, the guy was a crazy-good archaeologist, for his time at least, but he freaked out the landowners when he proudly showed off a human skull he’d found in the mound.”

“Proudly flailing about human remains doesn’t sound like a good archaeologist to me…” Rey said, under her breath.

“Ah, yeah. That’s why I had to add ‘for his time’ in there. The other guys were digging up full burial mounds and keeping the skulls on their fireplace mantles as conversation-starters. At least Skywalker only planned to put in two transects and then preserve the rest of the mound for the future.” Poe said, keeping his eyes on the road and quickly merging to get in front of a large dump truck.

“How do you guys know all of this?” Rey asked.

“Well his assistant, a young woman by the surname Tano took a LOT of notes for Skywalker. After he went back to his estate in New York, she managed to at least get a small report sent in to the Florida government offices. Very rare for the time!” Poe smiled at this, “She was an amazing woman, half-native and half-black, she was the only POC at the time writing in academic archaeology. Granted, she had to write under a male pseudonym…”

“Because god forbid a woman do something other than clean the house and go through hysteria.” Rey finished for him.

Poe wryly smiled back, “Yeah the 1930s and ‘40s were pretty messed up. It’s a shame the two of them never published anything on the Menhaden Point mound, but I guess that leaves it up to us!”

Rey tossed the wrapper to her granola bar into her open backpack at her feet and took a sip of water from her canteen. “So what is the game plan for today? I know you said you have a meeting with the developers, but I figured that might only be for you and Finn to worry about? Or you and Rose?” Rey paused, “Sorry I guess I still don’t know the hierarchy here, you’re field director but who is next in charge?”

Poe gave a little chuckle at Rey’s query. “Well that’s the thing, Gatalenta doesn’t really have a hierarchy below Field Director. All of you are archaeologists and know what you do best. So, Finn is higher on the ladder when it comes to lab methodology, so he’ll handle most of the artifact recording and analysis in the field. Rose is better at the tech, so she’ll mostly be in charge of the total station and other geospatial devices. Teedo is…. Teedo is good at digging.”

Rey rolled her eyes, “Yes I suppose everyone has to have at least _one_ marketable skill.”

“I understand there might be a bit of bad blood between the two of you?”

“Not really, he’s a fine archaeologist, he’s just kind of a jerk. We didn’t get along at the last company we worked at together, but I certainly don’t _hate_ him.”

“Ah, well that’s good! Disagreements are understandable.” Poe nodded to himself. “Now, for your role! I have heard you come highly recommended for your note-taking and your ethical responsibility.”

Rey blushed a bit and took another hasty sip of water, “Oh, um. I’m not sure which one of my references told you all that but. Yes. I don’t believe in skimping on quality or ethics to get a project done faster. It’s not exactly a ‘skill’ which has endeared me to my previous employers in the commercial sector.”

Poe took his eyes off the road momentarily to look at the woman next to him, clearly embarrassed and fiddling with her hands in her lap. Rey was biting her lip and looking like she wished she hadn’t said anything.

“Hey hey hey, no worries about that type of stuff! The head honcho Amilyn used to work for Leia Organa in the Division of Historic Resources. Our boss is _all about_ ethical recording!”

Rey looked up from twisting her fingers together, “Holdo worked in the SHPO office?”

“Yeah, she saw the corruption taking place in some CRM firms and decided to start her own. She takes that academic thoroughness and applies it to the commercial world, it’s great.” Poe talked while waving his hand around for emphasis, “Some of our clients haven’t been too pleased when she’s gone and asked them for more money because a project couldn’t be finished in the quoted time, but having friends in high places seems to have helped her out in that respect.”

“I take it you’re referring to the SHPO?” Rey asked, thinking of the descriptions Dr. Solo had provided her classes of his wife Leia. She was a woman who, though small in stature, was large in presence and authority. Rey could still see Leia’s dark brown eyes looking sharply at her from a picture on Dr. Solo’s desk.

“Yeah, Holdo and Organa go way back. There isn’t a development firm around that wants to fight a battle against anyone who has Leia on their side. Unfortunately, that has hindered some business opportunities for us.” Poe waved his hand and shook his head, “Anyway I’m getting off track. The whole reason we got on this subject was because you were asking me who was going to the meeting today, yeah?”

“Yeah that’s right.”

“Well, we’re _all_ going to the meeting because we’re all important members of the excavation team.” Poe looked at her and gave Rey a grin which showed all his teeth. “On top of that, Rey, I want you to be in charge of paperwork. You’ll still get to dig, but I saw the examples of reports you forwarded to Kaydel in HR and your attention to detail is fantastic. We need that here.”

“Oh wow.” Rey didn’t know what to say. A compliment was one thing, but her talents being _needed_ ? Her, personally, being _needed_? That was a feeling Rey could easily get addicted to. “Yes of course, it’d be an honor.”

Poe smacked the steering wheel with one hand, clearly in a good mood. “Excellent!”

The truck and trailer crossed over the grassy swampland which made up the headwaters of the St Johns river. The sawgrass swayed in the slight breeze of the morning and three eagles circled in the sky over the palmettos.

“Oh, lucky!” Poe exclaimed while he pointed a finger towards the white-headed birds, “In Roman augury, eagles are a good sign. And three of them to the east? Even better.”

Rey smiled at Poe’s excitement, “Is that your true passion, Dameron? The Classics?”

Poe smacked the steering wheel again and pulled up his long-sleeved shirt to show a small tattoo of the letters _S. P. Q. R._ on his outer forearm. “You know it! I used to work in Italy; native stuff in the US is fascinating, but my heart remains in the aqueducts. Clearly though this is a sign that we are in for a life-changing project, Rey!”

Rey stared out of the windshield and watched the three bald eagles ride on the currents of the wind until the truck passed under their circling flight patterns.

_I certainly hope so._

*

The slated development site at Menhaden Point had already been clear-cut and stripped of scrubby vegetation. The warm yellow sand reflected the bright light of the morning Florida sun as the Gatalenta researchers set up their excavation equipment.

Rey and Rose lifted a canopy into position over the Total Station device. Finn and Poe took a GPS unit around the mound site and set in datum points from which they would begin their excavation transects. James worked to empty the essential equipment out of the company trailer and set up a shade and hydration station which would be necessary in the burgeoning heat.

As the teams performed their tasks, no one noticed a black Mercedes drive up the gravel entranceway. It was only the slamming of two car doors that drew Rey’s attention up from assisting Rose with the calibration of the Total Station. She noticed two tall figures, dressed in suits, approaching the series of canopies Teedo had erected at the western edge of the dig site.

One man had bright ginger hair and an expression on his face as if he had drank curdled milk. He was adjusting his too-tight necktie and appeared to be begrudgingly listening to his companion speak. The other man was taller, with wavy black hair and a serious countenance. Both of their suits surely cost more than six of Rey’s past paychecks.

She hated them instantly.

_No. I am trying to be a more positive person. I do not hate them. I’m just judging them prematurely to be the type of people I am not inclined to like,_ Rey argued with herself.

She nudged Rose as the woman muttered to herself about Total Station resection points and pointed to the two men when Rose looked up.

“Oh, good they’re right on schedule. I’ll go grab Poe. Thanks for the heads up!”

Rose set down her notebook and walked out from under the canopy to alert Poe of the dig site’s guests.

Poe quickly walked over to the canopy the two men had positioned themselves under while Rose trailed closely behind. Finn waved his hand and gestured for Rey to join the group.

She fell in line beside him and the two of them remained silent while Poe introduced himself to the displeased-looking men in suits.

The shorter man, who Rey now knew was named Armitage Hux, revealed himself to be chief assistant to the CEO of First Order Developments and the basic expectations of his boss as to his role in further meetings between Gatalenta Research and the development firm. The dark-haired man waited for Hux to finish his introductions and posturing with what appeared to Rey as immense dislike.

She was almost persuaded to change her original opinion of him based solely on his distaste for his coworker – who seemed to possess the exact amount of conniving and kiss-assery that Rey detested.

Rey could have been swayed to looking on him in a more positive light simply because of the handsomeness of his features. His smattering of freckles and beauty marks and his large nose blended with his intriguingly full mouth and delicate chin. His eyes were bright and intelligent with a gleam of cunning.

She might have even been convinced to think kindly of him when he opened his mouth and a deep, honey-rich voice spoke his name to her and her compatriots.

Yes, Rey may have even started to become intrigued by this man who’d referred to himself as Kylo Ren if the words following his personal introduction hadn’t been:

“Is this your crew? What in the world. I thought we had hired _professionals.”_ Kylo’s eyes drifted over each of the Gatalenta employees and stopped at Rey. He gave her a dismissive once-over and continued, “If I wanted a ragged team of college students, I would’ve posted our requirements on Craigslist.”

So, Rey decided that first impressions are often correct.

She _hated_ this Kylo Ren.

**Author's Note:**

> Star Wars References  
> [Mas Amedda](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Mas_Amedda)  
> [Parnassos](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Parnassos#Phasma.27s_origins)  
> [Gatalenta](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Gatalenta)
> 
> Archaeology References & Equipment  
> CRM = Cultural Resource Management  
> SHPO = State Historic Preservation Officer  
> THPO = Tribal Historic Preservation Officer  
> [Charnel house](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charnel_house#North_America)  
> [A shaker screen](https://www.stoneyknoll.com/Standard-Rocking-Sifting-Screens/View-all-products.html?redirected=1)  
> [A tripod screen](https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/products.php?mi=80741&itemnum=53678&redir=Y)  
> [Spade shovels](https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gardening-tools/digging-tools/70018)  
> vs [Flat shovels](https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/gardening-tools/digging-tools/70024)  
> [Total Station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_station)


End file.
